General Store
by GRexCarolinii
Summary: After being paralysed from the waist-down, Havoc returns home to take over the family's general store.   Just a little slice of life-esque one-shot, hints at some future romance for Havoc  finally, heh


**So, just a quick little one-shot, because I can't help but feel like Havoc deserves a little bit of love...**  
><strong>Set some point after episode 25 - just after all of Mustang's men have been split.<br>Hopefully I've managed to keep Havoc in character...  
>Disclaimer = Havoc, and all of Fullmetal Alchemist (Brotherhood) is not mine *if only* <strong>

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><p><strong><strong>  
>Havoc sighed to himself. It was awfully quiet now that everyone had been separated, and he had been allowed to return home. Sure he had the occasional visit from Hawkeye and Mustang, but working day in and out at his family's store was such a bore compared to man of the things he had to do whilst working for Mustang and the military.<br>He sat up slightly when he heard the bell of the door go, as someone entered the shop. He subconsciously chewed his thumbnail, a habit that he had picked up since his mother disallowed him from smoking in the shop, which restricted the amount he could smoke during the day.  
>"Oh!" squeaked the customer in surprise, as Havoc turned to look at her. It was a young girl, around the same age as himself, if he had to guess. She had typical Amestrian blue eyes, coupled with red hair that reminded him slightly of Breda.<br>"Oh?" he inquired, trying not to sound too bored. Since losing his legs, he had lost a fair amount of enthusiasm for anything, including flirting with girls.  
>"You're not Mrs Havoc… Unless I am very much mistaken," she said, grinning widely before narrowing her eyes at him.<br>"Wait… Jean! Is that you?"  
>Havoc immediately straightened up. This girl knew him?<br>"Oh geez, you don't remember me do you? It's Lizzie. We were at school together…" she smiled familiarly, and Havoc's eyes widened. This couldn't be the same little girl who used to follow him around like a love-sick puppy… She had obviously had quite the crush on him, but due to her mismatched looks – long gangly limbs, freckles, and striking hair, was quickly labelled as 'weird' and thus avoided by Havoc, among others, not that it deterred her in anyway. Now, however…  
>"Anyway… how can I help?" Havoc asked, leaning forwards on the table.<br>"Oh… yeah. I'm just here to pick up some eggs and flour…" she said, tapping her bottom lip trying to think of whether there was anything else she would need.  
>"Oh! And some matches too!" she cried out, possibly a little too loudly.<br>Havoc sighed in reply, and looked over his shoulder to spot where the items she had asked for might be. The matches were in his reach, so he quickly grabbed them first, before carefully trying to roll his wheelchair backwards. This was usually the point where he rolled too fast or too far, and crashed into the shelving behind him, but today, he was determined to not require the help of the customer.  
>"oh! Are you ok?" she asked, quickly hurrying nearer anyway.<br>"Yeah… I'm fine. Just not as great with this thing as I would like," he said, giving a slight grin.  
>"Ahh… I should have guess something happened. I had heard you'd joined the military, see? I guess it didn't, uh… pan out?" She asked, and instantly regretted it, seeing the grimace on his face, as he stretched to reach for a bag of flour.<br>"Yeah… something like that…" he replied, trying not to sound too dejected.  
>"This flour ok?" he asked, dumping the bag heavily on the table, almost making Lizzie jump.<br>"Oh! Yeah… that's perfect thanks…" she said, smiling again, as an awkward silence began to settle.  
>Havoc wheeled himself without grace in order to retrieve the eggs, and Lizzie shifted from foot to foot wondering whether she should give him a hand.<br>"You know… it is nice to see you again," she said quietly, looking at her feet, as he rolled back, eggs in lap.  
>"Hmm?"<br>"Well! I mean, I just never thought I'd see you, that's all!" she said, trying not to blush at the reminder of her childhood crush.  
>"Yeah… well. That's 480 Cenz, please!" he replied, placing her things in a bag.<br>"Huh? Oh! Yeah…" Lizzie continued to go red as she reached into pocket for the money, hading Havoc a couple of notes and few coins.  
>"Thanks for the patronage…" he said gruffly, just as he had been taught by his mother.<br>"No worries!" Lizzie smiled back, turning to leave, before stopping at the door, and turning back round to face him.  
>"Uhm… Are you free? Tomorrow evening I mean. It would be nice to catch up, or something!" she said, face now a very rosy colour.<br>Havoc struggled to keep his jaw from dropping.  
>"What? Like a date?" he confirmed, causing Lizzie to fluster.<br>"Yes! Well, no! I mean, if you want… I don't mind," she squeezed her eyes shut.  
>"Yeah alright. Just come by the store tomorrow… I get off around half 5," Havoc added in a smile so as to appear a bit more genuine.<br>"Oh! Great! Yes! I will!" Lizzie grinned, and spoke far too fast, before practically running out of the store.

Havoc smiled as he returned to his usual position leaning on the front desk of the store. He certainly hadn't been anticipating being asked out any time at all, let alone days after returning home.  
>And even better – there was no Mustang around here to steal his date.<br>Hopefully.


End file.
